16 Facts About Athletic Bilbao

Athletic Club, commonly known as Athletic Bilbao or just Athletic, is a professional football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Basque Country of Spain.

Athletic Bilbao are the fourth most successful club in La Liga with eight titles to their name.

Since 1912, Athletic Bilbao has played exclusively with players meeting its own criteria to be deemed Basque.

Athletic Bilbao revolutionised the way Athletic played, favouring the short-passing game.

Athletic Bilbao's first season in Spain was a massive success as he managed to win the Liga that year.

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Athletic Bilbao had inherited a talented squad which included strikers Guillermo Gorostiza and Bata.

Athletic Bilbao Club did not win the title again until 1943 and by that time Garbutt had been exiled.

Athletic Bilbao went on to score 294 goals in all competitions for Athletic.

Athletic Bilbao put together one of the most successful teams in the club's history.

Clemente's Athletic Bilbao acquired notoriety for its aggressive style of play.

In 1995, Athletic Bilbao had signed Joseba Etxeberria from regional rivals Real Sociedad, causing considerable bad feeling between the two clubs.

Athletic Bilbao had a triumphant first full-capacity match in the new San Mames as they defeated Napoli to qualify for the Champions League group stage, however they could only finish 3rd in the group.

Later, a young student from Athletic Bilbao named Juan Elorduy, who was spending Christmas 1909 in London, was charged by the club to buy 25 new shirts, but was unable to find enough.

Athletic Bilbao were one of the last major clubs who did not have the logo of an official sponsor emblazoned on their kit.

In 2011, Athletic Bilbao revealed a new away kit that was inspired by the Basque flag.

Finally, in 1941 the first version of the current shield was created, but the name "Atletico Athletic Bilbao" was used when General Francisco Franco outlawed all non-Spanish names during his fascist reign.